Tonight
by Disenchanting Smiles
Summary: It was possibly the most beautiful night Shikamaru and Kiba had ever seen. KibaShika NOT a feel good fic!


It was a beautiful night. The air was unseasonably warm for mid-April. The sun had set in a brilliant display of colors an hour before. The starry sky was cloudless and oh so bright. There were very few nights were there were so many stars hanging in the sky. It was one of those nights that normally Shikamaru would have lain outside for hours with Kiba, staring at the sky.

The enemy ninja chasing them prevented him from being able to do that tonight.

"Why won't they give up?" Kiba yelled breathlessly. Shikamaru glanced at him, he was a blur of green.

"We're close," Shikamaru replied briefly.

"Yeah well-" Kiba was cut off as a pair of enemy ninja appeared before them.

"Hope you two weren't really planning on making it back to your village, 'cause you won't be," the bigger of the two said.

Shikamaru was quick to perform one of his shadow jutsus and get control of the man that had spoke. They didn't realize that with all the shadows from the trees Shadow was in the perfect setting for a fight. It helped that they appeared to be evenly matched. "I think you're the one that won't be returning home," Shikamaru said sounding disinterested as ever. A glance at Kiba showed that he was holding his own in hand-to-hand combat. There was a blur of legs and feet as the two fought.

"What the hell did you do?" The man growled. He looked like he was straining to move.

Shikamaru reached to his side for a kunai, on the opposite branch the man was mimicking his actions. Shikamaru replied with an amused expression. Without any further comments or teasing (as tempting as it was when he had the man like that) he threw the kunai. The man threw one back but there was a tiny delay. Shikamaru was able to dodge at just the right moment to dodge it. The other ninja wasn't. The kunai went over Shikamaru's head while the kunai he had thrown sank into the stomach of the other ninja. He fell the ground clutching his stomach. He landed with his head at a strange angle which definitely finished him if the kunai hadn't.

Kiba meanwhile had managed to get an opening and stick a kunai in the ninja he was fighting. Making sure not to let his guard down (the man might be down, but he wasn't really out yet) he glanced at Shikamaru just in time to see that they were not, in fact, evenly matched. "Shit! Shikamaru turn around!" he yelled as yet another ninja came stealthily up behind Shikamaru with a kunai drawn.

Shikamaru turned in time to be stabbed in the side instead of the back. As he fell to the ground Kiba sped over and delivered a hard punch to the ninja's head. The ninja attempted to return one but Kiba caught it and aimed a kick at his stomach. The fight continued like this for a while. Kiba was fueled by adrenaline from his anger. Finally he managed a hard enough kick to the other ninja's head to daze him and he pinned him down.

"Sneaking up behind people isn't nice," Kiba snarled with a glance at Shikamaru. His dark-haired lover was looking back at him with slightly glazed eyes. His chest was heaving with pained breaths. "Not nice at all." The brunette pulled out a kunai. But instead of just stabbing the enemy ninja with it he dug it into the man's stomach and pulled it in a line. The man screamed in pain.

"That hurt?" Kiba said, "Good!" He stabbed the kunai into the ninja's heart, and twisted it for good measure. The sight of the blood blossoming out and drenching the man filled him with immense satisfaction. It spread to meet the blood from the cut on the mans stomach. Kiba smirked slightly and went over to kneel next to Shikamaru.

"Kiba," Shikamaru said weakly.

Kiba grabbed the handle of the kunai that was still sticking out of his lover's side. He pulled it out as gently as he could, Shikamaru still gasped in pain. "Sorry," Kiba whispered. He reached into one of his pockets and pulled out gauze. He quickly made the best bandage he could manage. It hadn't bled too much. Shikamaru would be fine, Kiba told himself. He just had to get him back to the village quickly.

"I'll have to carry you back to the village," Kiba said. He gently picked Shikamaru up bridal style, making sure to be careful with the wound.

"Kiba," Shikamaru said as if starting to say something. Kiba paid no attention, he was already speeding in the direction of the village. He estimated it would take less than ten minutes going as fast as he could.

After a few minutes of traveling Shikamaru spoke again, "Kiba, stop."

Kiba faltered and his speed decreased slightly. "Shika, you're injured."

"I know. But I want to look at the stars."

"Shika, you'll have plenty of time to look at the stars later."

"Kiba, look at me," Shikamaru said in a commanding and sad tone.

Kiba did, stopping. He could read the message in Shikamaru's half-lidded eyes clearly. It said, "I won't have plenty of time later." Kiba wasn't going to acknowledge the look, "I have to get you back to the village."

"Go down to the ground Kiba, please."

"But-"

"It won't make much of a difference either way. But I want to look at the stars." He wasn't going to say 'one last time'. It was cliché and depressing and he wasn't going to say it. But it was there and both of them heard it anyway.

Kiba jumped to the ground and lay Shikamaru on the ground as gently as he'd lay down a priceless fragile doll. And in a sense that's exactly what he was to Kiba at that moment. Kiba laid down next to Shikamaru once he'd gotten him settled.

"Shikamaru, it's really not a good idea to stop," Kiba whispered.

"Kiba, stop it please," Shikamaru said weakly, turning his head to look at the brunette laying beside him. "You know I won't make it back to Konoha."

Tears sprung to Kiba's eyes. "Don't say that."

"I'm not going to lie."

"You can't leave me. I can't live without you."

Shikamaru turned his eyes back to the sky. The stars were so beautiful and bright it almost hurt to look at them. But he didn't think anything could hurt as much as looking at Kiba right now. Nothing could hurt as much as looking at the most beautiful thing in the world looking so broken. That person who had never failed to make him smile crying. So he looked at the painfully beautiful stars.

"You can live without me. You did pretty good without me before."

"That was a long time ago."

"Yeah, but you've only gotten stronger since then."

"You made me strong."

Tears were starting to drip down the sides of Shikamaru's face now. The world was starting to swim in and out of focus. He made an attempt at moving but failed. Kiba saw this and sat up, hovering over his boyfriend.

"Why did you make me stop?"

"The stars are beautiful tonight," Shikamaru whispered.

Kiba looked up and Shikamaru's tears were renewed. The brunette's beauty was indescribable at that moment, tanned face illuminated by the stars.

"Yeah, they are," Kiba said, looking back down at Shikamaru. Tears were dripping from his eyes.

"I love you, Kiba." Shikamaru said as things slid out of focus once again. He had a feeling that soon things weren't going to come back.

Kiba leaned down and captured his boyfriend's lips in a kiss. Despite it's chasteness it held more feeling and passion than any kiss they'd shared. Retreating Kiba whispered, "I love you too Shika."

Shikamaru continued to gaze at the stars, they continued to slip in and out of blackness. Just as he sensed it was about over he switched his gaze to look at Kiba. The last thing he saw was Kiba with a backdrop of the most beautiful stars he thought he'd ever seen.

Kiba reached down and gently closed his lover's eyes. A moment of unreality surrounded him for a moment . Then he wrapped his arms around Shikamaru and sobbed onto the lifeless shoulder. He wasn't in a rush to get back to the village anymore.

After all, it really was a beautiful night.

* * *

I don't think I've ever written astory with that much action and so little dialogue.

Don't hate me for killing Shika. He's my favorite character! But sacrifices have to be made for the sake of the story. 

Contribute to the starving artist with reviews please! Constructive criticism will be put on a pedestal and worshipped.


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